Bellefonte City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XVIII
Motor Vehicle Access
§ 575-90 Intent.
The following conditions are intended to provide motor vehicle access regulations to protect the health, safety and welfare of the municipality.
§ 575-91 General regulations.
Every building hereafter erected or moved shall be on a lot adjacent to a public street or with motor vehicle access to a private street. The intent of the following regulations is to provide safe and convenient access for servicing, fire protection, traffic circulation and required off-street parking:
A.
On arterial streets, access for each lot shall be limited to not more than two driveways for the first 300 feet of frontage or fraction thereof and one driveway for each additional 300 feet of frontage. On all other streets, access shall be provided by not more than one driveway for the first 50 feet of frontage or fraction thereof and one driveway for each additional 50 feet of frontage. Single-family detached residential units shall only be served by a single driveway.
B.
No driveway shall be closer to the side or rear property line than five feet, unless the two adjoining property owners mutually agree to a common driveway in such form and manner acceptable for recording in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of Centre County, Pennsylvania, binding their heirs and assigns to the easement so created.
C.
Residential districts. The principal purpose of a driveway in a residential district is to provide vehicular access to a garage or carport area. If a garage or carport area does not exist or is not intended for construction, driveways shall be located in the side yard to the greatest extent practicable.
D.
Driveways which provide access individually to single-family and two-family dwellings on individual lots shall have a throat width of not less than 10 feet or greater than 20 feet, and curb returns are not required. A single driveway which provides joint access to no more than two dwelling units on an individual lot shall have a throat width of not less than 15 feet nor greater than 24 feet, and curb returns are not required. Driveways which provide access to all uses other than single-family and two-family dwellings shall have a throat width of not less than 15 feet or greater than 24 feet, and the curb return radius shall not be less than 13 feet or greater than 55 feet.
E.
In the R-4, HC and HI Districts, all driveways shall enter a public street right-of-way at least 100 feet from its intersection with another public street, except for intersections of two or more arterial streets, in which case the minimum distance shall be at least 200 feet. In all other districts, all driveways shall enter a public street right-of-way at least 50 feet from its intersection with another public street of any classification. For all cases cited above, the distance in which access is prohibited shall be measured from the tangent of the curb return of the intersecting street cartway to the tangent of the curb return of the driveway.
F.
Distance between driveways.
(1)
When the use on a lot is single-family detached dwelling, single-family semidetached dwellings, two-family detached dwellings or two-family semidetached dwellings, and if two or more driveways of the same lot, any of which serve more than one dwelling, enter a public street right-of-way, the distance between the entrances of the driveways shall be at least 50 feet, measured between the inner edges of the driveway.
(2)
When the use on a lot is other than single-family detached dwelling, single-family semidetached dwellings, two-family detached dwellings, or two family semidetached dwellings, and if two or more driveways of the same lot enter a public street right-of-way, the distance between the entrances of the driveways shall be at least 75 feet, measured between the inner edges of the driveway.
G.
Driveways to corner lots or through lots shall gain access from the street of lower classification when the lot is bound by streets of two different classifications.